SWINDON moved five points clear at the top of League Two after first-half goals from Ronan Murray and Oliver Risser sealed a 2-0 win at struggling Barnet last night.

Murray struck after 14 minutes with a composed finish before Risser fired home from Jay McEveley’s free kick just after the half hour.

Town then withheld expected pressure from the home side after the break, but Barnet were unable to break down a resolute defence as the Robins took the three vital points.

Despite Paolo Di Canio’s optimism that they would be fit to feature, Matt Ritchie and Lee Holmes were not included in the squad and consequently a few eyebrows were raised by the midfield quartet that were named.

Raffa De Vita was on the left with Luke Rooney on the right while Risser partnered Jon Smith in an industrious midfield pairing, with Simon Ferry on the bench.

In attack, Paul Benson came back into the side, starting alongside Murray.

The two sides were snapping at each other from the outset and Smith managed to get his name into the referee’s book after just five seconds following a crunching challenge on Sam Deering.

But Town were ahead with their first real chance of the game as Luke Rooney flicked the ball over the defence and Murray raced through before coolly stabbing the ball beyond Dean Brill from close range.

It was a dream start for the visitors, but they had to be alert at the other end in the 22nd minute when Town failed to clear a ball put into the box but Andy Yiadom compounded to blaze over the bar from six yards out.

However, it was Swindon who scored again just after the half hour when De Vita was fouled some 30 yards from goal and Jay McEveley swung the free kick into the box where Risser was on hand to fire home and put the travelling fans into raptures, sensing that three vital points in the Robins’ promotion push were coming.

Izale McLeod was occasionally showing why he is among the division’s top scorers and kept the Town defence on their toes as he shot just wide from 25 yards before Wes Foderingham superbly denied him from close range just before the break.

Unsurprisingly, Barnet came out fighting after the restart and had the Town defence under heavy pressure for the first 15 minutes of the second half, although they only had substitute Ricky Holmes’ low drive that was easily gathered by Foderingham to show for their efforts.

Di Canio brought on Simon Ferry for Risser but still the hosts pressed and skipper Mark Hughes lashed an effort narrowly wide in the 67th minute before Foderingham just managed to get a hand to Ben May’s shot on the turn.

With time running out, the home side became increasingly desperate to find a way back into the game and their attacking threat became less and less while their desire to get forward left them vulnerable to attacks on the break.

Indeed it was from one such counter that Town almost grabbed a third when substitute Nathan Thompson played a delightful one-two with Benson, but he shot wide with the goal at his mercy.

However, the visitors did not need the luxury of a third as they held firm to record a victory that has moved them that bit closer to securing a return to League One.